At SmithKlein Gallery in downtown Boulder, the second-generation owners of the storied art space boarded up its windows after a neighboring business was burglarized in March.

With the type of high-end fine art the gallery has in its inventory, co-owner Ann Klein said they really had no other choice.

Out of wood panels, they enlisted Colorado muralist Patrick Maxcy to create a masterpiece. Among whimsical birds perched on a tree branch and butterflies and leaves floating against a vibrant pale blue sky, the words “Life,” “Beauty” and “Hope” brighten up an abandoned Pearl Street pro-tem.

“That’s been uplifting and positive,” said Klein. They’ll keep the boards up until June 1.

“We’re one of the oldest and longest family-run businesses in Boulder,” Klein said. SmithKlein opened on Pearl Street in 1984. “We really do need local support, especially in the next couple of months. Locally owned businesses need the community’s support so Boulder can return to the Boulder we love.”

SmithKlein opened its doors May 16 on an appointment-only basis. For now, until Colorado Gov. Jared Polis updates guidelines from the safer-at-home measures, SmithKlein will only be open noon-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

“It’s interesting because as an art gallery, we’re kind of a naturally social distancing business anyway,” Klein said. “In the art world, it’s a known thing to respect people’s space when they’re looking at a piece. Most people give others room to connect with the art.”

Even though Klein said the gallery has received a lot of support from loyal clients, whom Klein calls family, she’s still anxious to get back to business as usual.

“We’re definitely needing to be open,” Klein said. “One of the hardest things is that the tourism is down on Pearl Street and that’s a lot of what we depend on with visitors. And with restaurants not being open, too. The restaurants draw a lot of people to Pearl.”

And viewing a piece online just isn’t the same, as most Front Range Gallery owners agree.

“You need to see the art to find a connection with it,” Klein said. “You need to experience the art. It’s a Catch-22, we want to be open more but we also want to be safe.”

Christy Fantz / Daily Camera

Artist Liz Miller’s “Acrimonious Efflorescence” was featured at the Firehouse Art Center in Longmont in 2017. Firehouse is now open, and staff is happy since many of the art house’s exhibits are three-dimensional and difficult to capture virtually.

Firehouse Art Center in Longmont has reopened to the public noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday by appointment only and noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, with a limit of five guests at a time — masks and social distancing required.

“We’ve had some traffic,” said Elaine Waterman, executive director at Firehouse. “It’s been kind of slow, but that’s understood.”

Although quarantine was tough, Waterman said it brought some learning experiences along with it.

“We want to stay with the mission of sharing arts and culture for our community, so we were trying to figure out what we could bring online,” Waterman said. “Being closed has helped us with our virtual offerings and it pushed us into territories that we always wanted to explore, but never had the time to do so.”

Like Klein said, it’s still no comparison in seeing live art, though, Waterman said.

“Especially with some of the shows that we exhibit at Firehouse,” Waterman said. “The show that just finished up in February was an installation where a lot of pieces come out of the wall and extend from the ceiling. That would be a hard exhibit to present virtually while trying to stay true to the message the artist is making. It’s easier to do when people are in the presence of artwork.”

At least now the public can be present. Cautiously.

“We’re excited to get back to exhibiting artwork,” Waterman said. “We want to honor the commitment of our artists in sharing their art on the Firehouse walls.”

Over in Loveland, artist Jennie Milner said she’s the type of person who wants to save the world. Since the goal is quite lofty, she started with providing free coloring sheets for people to print out and color.

“If I can at least save someone’s sanity, then that’s a win for me,” Milner said. “The beauty of coloring is that it’s relaxing and a form of meditation that helps people to focus on breathing. And you don’t have to have any practice to get it down pat. You don’t feel like a failure when your basic job is to stay in the lines.”

Milner, who rents out studio space at Artworks Loveland, said she’ll continue to create the free coloring pages for now. Those who participate can post their photos on social media, tagging it with #jcmilner. The pages can be downloaded at jcmilnermetalworks.com, with an option to donate.

“It’s not a huge money maker, but really, for my own sanity, drawing is my therapy,” Milner said. “I went to art therapy as a kid and when quarantine happened, that’s the first thing I turned to.”

From flowers and a mob of mask-wearers to fish and wildlife, the coloring pages are detailed with intricate shapes. Milner, who is also a metalsmith, sculptor and muralist, said two years ago she put together four adult coloring books and hosted a wine and color event that concluded with local Girl Scouts judging the contest. She said that year she sold more than 200 coloring books.

Her colors reach a vast scale, too.

“One of my favorite things to do right now is paint murals,” Milner said.

Jenny Sparks / Loveland Reporter-Herald

A sign in the front door at Artworks alerts people that they are closed due to the coronavirus on March 20. The gallery is now open with restrictions.

Along with local garages and the alley side of Artworks, her murals have graced the New York State Zoo and Google headquarters in Boulder. Milner was just tapped this week as the muralist for the outside of the Loveland Museum. She said there will be three panels, the middle being an interactive one that will make a perfect spot for selfies and senior photos.

“When I come outside to get a cup of coffee, I always see people taking photos in front of my (Artworks) mural,” Milner said. “It inspired me to create a spot for the new mural that would lend itself to portraits.”

Milner also sells murals on panels for kids to color in their garages. (“When I was a kid, coloring on the garage walls was something we were able to do,” she said.)

Artworks Loveland is open 1-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturday with a limit of five guests at a time in the building. Masks and social distancing is required.

Although Milner said she’s kept busy during quarantine, she said she’ll be happy when things start safely opening.

“In some ways, this has hampered my creativity,” Milner said. “I use Loveland Creator space next door (to Artworks) to access my woodworking tools and I haven’t been able to lately, but I still find my own ways to create art. There are people out there struggling, who don’t have a creative space. Being an artist is a dream, but it’s also a curse, because you gotta make that rent money.”

LOVELAND AREA

3 Square Art Gallery Open by appointment only for up to five guests at a time. Email info@3square-art.com to schedule an appointment from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 1-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2415 Donella Court, Suite 110, Fort Collins; 3square-art.com

Christy Fantz has been covering Boulder's features beat for 15 years. As a longtime columnist for the Colorado Daily and current features editor for Boulder County newspapers, Fantz enjoys temporarily rendering readers' jaws agape with a little love tase now and again. It keeps us young.